The Monday Mix (01/05/2023)
Discover more from Tom’s Newsletter
Hi friends,
This Saturday is the coronation of King Charles an event which feels a bit surreal. The ceremony, as I understand it, will be more akin to the world of 1923 than 2023 with lots of ancient customs respected. One is the Stone of Destiny, which I think the monarch either kneels on, or is placed inside the throne before the crowning. I’ve put a link about the Stone of Destiny below as it has an interesting history.
As someone not overly keen on the royal family, I have mixed emotions about the coronation. On the one hand, I think it’s a bit much for this day and age but on the other hand, I’m intrigued to see what happens. This is the first coronation since 1953 and a large portion of the country has not witnessed such an event. What happens is almost a mystery, and I’ll probably watch a bit of it to see what happens.
Should all this happen in a modern country in the 21st century? I don’t know but I do feel Britain would lose part of its soul if these traditions fell by the wayside. Whether that would be good or bad is up for debate.
Stone of Destiny Heist
A remarkable story about how four students from Scotland stole the stone from Westminster Abbey and transported it back to Scotland in the car. The stone has a long history and was originally used in the coronation of Scottish kings before it was taken back to England during the Wars of Independence. Despite the name United Kingdom, the four countries are anything but. History is long and never forgotten in these parts. This story illustrates why, and is a fun read ahead of the coronation.
Ron DeSantis
An interesting profile of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is the main challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024. The more I read about DeSantis and see him on screen, the more I think he’s not going to beat Trump, barring the former president being arrested or thrown in jail. He has zero charisma, can barely interact with the public and is just weird. How he became governor in the first place is interesting as there’s not much to him besides his authoritarian streak. This seems to be a common problem in politics now. Where are the truly great political leaders of yesteryear such as Roosevelt, Churchill and the like? Figures with presence, conviction and authority. They seem to be a dying breed if they’re not already extinct.
Climate Change and Sea Level Rises
This is a sobering article about how climate change could lead to drastic sea level changes that will affect many countries. One of them is the Netherlands, which has a lot of land below sea level and has a highest point of 320 metres or so. The Netherlands is one of my favourite places and after visiting part of it that was recaptured from the sea, it would be strangely ironic if the sea took it back due to the sheer amount of emissions we’re pumping out. It’s incredible more isn’t made of this given the threat it poses to many low-lying populations around the globe such as Miami. Maybe it will take an unfortunate event for reality to hit home.
Music
I watched Reservoir Dogs over the weekend and this song plays in the opening credits. It’s catchy and perfectly encapsulates the start of the movie, which is a great watch.
Book I’m reading - An Artist of The Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
Another Ishiguro book, this one is one of his earlier works and deals with postwar Japan. I’ve partway through it and trying to work out the plot, which is slow to reveal itself. This seems to be a common theme with Ishiguro, but it seems to work as his books are fascinating to read.
Quote I’m pondering: – “The beginning is always today.” ― Mary Shelley
That’s all for this week.
Until next time,
Tom